10 Most Important Tips Researching an SEO Company

25 Sep 10 Most Important Tips Researching an SEO Company

10 Most Important Tips Researching an SEO Company

Hiring a SEO company is a good thing. However, you will not just want to search online without finding out any information about them. Focusing on finding the right company is important. There are some important tips that you need to focus on in order to get the upper hand in your niche. Setting up a business website today, you’re going to find that the competition is far stiffer than ever. Competition is not going to go away, it’s going to increase over time. To help you get more attention, you should hire the right SEO company, simple as that.

1- Experience In The Industry

The first thing that you should look for in a SEO company is how long they’ve been in business. That’s a good starting line, but you need to ask about more than just the company’s age. Consider how many years of SEO experience the individuals have that are working on your marketing collateral. Just because a company is new, doesn’t mean that their collective employees and managers are new. It’s here that you can gauge whether they are going to help you get the newest of tactics, or they are stuck in antiquated solutions. Ask about experience.

2- What SEO Elements Are Used

SEO is like a tree with many branches. Without focusing on all of the branches, you will not see much of an improvement moving forward. When you’re looking to hire someone to help you get attention overall, make certain that you ask about what elements of SEO are going to be used. If the company only mentions one or two things, they aren’t for you. There’s multiple tiers of solutions that you need to consider, and it’s not just a “one” and done element. There are so many options, that an itemized list should be constructed.

3- Portfolio and References

Like any other business that you will hire, ask about their track record. Consider whom the company has worked for, and ask for references. This will help you ascertain whether they have helped companies in your industry, etc. If you do not ask about this, you could be hiring a company that isn’t very good at what they are doing. Every business worth their salt will have a portfolio or references to give you. Tech is always assisted by word of mouth, and a proven success record of implementation. Otherwise, what’s the point? Always ask about this.

4- Company Marketing

Does the company that you want to hire show up in search engines? Do they used sponsored listings? Can you find them easily online? Start searching for keywords related to the company that you want to hire, and see where they fit within the niche they are in. If you find that they are competitive, you’ll see them ranking high within rankings. If they aren’t ranking high, or are not listed within the top search results, there’s something wrong. Focus on finding the company through a variety of means, and see how they market their own company. That will clue you into what they are doing right.

5- Focusing On Short and Long Term Solutions

Hiring a SEO company starts with a simple purpose, to get more traffic. However, a company should also have a long-term investment overall. They should focus on the bigger picture that comes with optimization. To ensure that you’re getting the upper hand, ask about short term solutions, and long-term plans. The company you want to hire should give you an itemized list of solutions they would like to help with, and how they affect your website. If they cannot give you a fully itemized list of short term and longer-term plans, then they are not worth hiring.

6- Single Items or Bigger Picture?

This next tip is in regard to whether or not they focus on plans or they offer single elements. What this is in regard to is simple, what type of services are offered by the company. Some companies have a “one and done” approach to search engine optimization. That means that you pay a flat fee, and then go along your way. However, some companies offer a larger scale of solutions, allowing you to pay a fee for additional work, and maintenance. SEO is not “one and done” mind you, it’s an ever-evolving marketing solution.

7- Easy Explanations

How does the company communicate? Gauge the communication that you have with the company from the first day that you contact them, to the moment you hire them and beyond. By focusing on this element, you’ll be able to understand how the company’s customer service works. There’s nothing worse than being left out in the dark on technical things. Do not let this happen. Ask for explanations, and gauge how simple they are to understand, and whether you fully know what is going on. If the company cannot explain things with relative ease, you may not know what you’re paying for. That’s not a good thing.

8- Flexible Pricing

Another aspect of SEO should be focused on pricing. How does the company that you want to hire price their work? Is it on an hourly schedule? Is it per package? Are there tiers? Ask for an estimate and see how the company works within pricing. You’ll find that the best companies offer a bit of flexibility when it comes to pricing overall. They focus on several different elements of your website’s marketing collateral, and then figure out a price that will fit within every budget. Speak to the company about how much your budgeting for marketing, and see how they work with your budget overall.

9- Ask About Challenges

There’s nothing wrong with confidence. But if your SEO company is always confident and says that there are no hurdles, or difficulties in marketing your business, don’t believe them. Marketing is something that can be strenuous, and difficult to manage. A company should be able to illustrate the marketing hurdles and speak to how they are going to overcome them. If they cannot illustrate this, then they may not know how to get over the issues that your company’s marketing may face.

10- Read Reviews

At the end of the day, hiring a SEO company can be made simple if you just look for reviews. A well-reviewed company could help you determine what the right options for marketing are for you, and sustain a great deal of momentum moving forward.